Thaw thoroughly in a cool room. See the table below for thawing/cooking times. Check the weight of your bird together with any stuffing against the left hand column then read off the correct thawing and cooking times. Take special care with large birds.

Keep the refrigerator/freezer at the correct temperature and use a thermometer. Refrigerator below 5C. Freezer below minus 18C.

Observe microwave cooking and standing times and adjust according to the microwave wattage.

Check se-bydates on pre-packed and perishable foods. No food should be sold after its se-bydate. Foods sold after their est beforedate may be sold provided they are safe to eat.

Wash hands thoroughly before preparing food.

For more information on food safety/hygiene issues and our work visit our Food Safety web pages.

The Food Standards Agency and the Food and Drink Federation also produce a range of leaflets , posters and information packs which provide useful information for food businesses and members of the public. Most leaflets are free and available in community langauges.